Car for bonding rails.



A. B. HERRIGK.

CAR FOR BONDING RAILS.

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CAR FOR BONDING RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1905.

Patented De058, 1908.

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A. B. HERRICK.

CAR FOR BONDING RAILS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1905.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

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40 from this view for convenience, this view I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

- ALBERT B. HERRICK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

can .ron BONDING nuns.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application filed March a, 1905. Serial No. 252,095.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. HERRICK, a citizen of the United States, resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cars for Bonding Rails, of which the following is, a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions. My invention relates to car structures, and particularly to a car'structure adapted for use in connection with operations to be performed upon the rails of car-tracks, such as rail-bondlng, joint-testing, and the like, as described in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 237 ,353, filed December 17, 1904.

The object of this invention is to effect such operations in an efficient and economical manner, said invention consisting of means hereinafter fully described and particularly set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention'may be used.

In said annexed drawings:Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal central cross-section of that artof a car embodying my invention, t e air-compressor and reservoir being shown therein in elevation, and one of the air-cylinders cut by the plane of section being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section of the car showing the bottom thereof in lan, the air-compressor being however omltted being taken upon the plane indicated by line transverse section taken upon the plane indicated by line 33, Fi 1. Figs. 4., 5, 6,

and 7, represent a deta' ed plan elevation ofsections of portions of the mechanism on an enlarged scale.

The car-body A embodied in the structure is provided with a single truck A which sup orts a car-frame, as shown in Fig. 1. Suc frame includes two sills a (1 upon which is laid the flooring a, the latter being formed with a central rectangular opening a,-

springs as will 1.. Fig. 3 represents a vertical forming an open space between the bolsters a a and the wheels a a of the truck. Braces a a support the ends of the sills, the truck forming the struts which complete trusses for the car, as will be readily understood. Having its ends resting upon the central art of the sills a a is an arch A referab y constructed .of channel steel. his arch is preferably made so as to form a support for the central part of the roof, a, as described in said above-mentioned application and forming support for other parts of the mechanism which, however, forms no part of this present invention.

Secured to the sides of the car by means of suitable brackets h, Figs. 1 and 3, are four air-cylinders h and cooperating pistons h? therefor. These cylinders are connected by means of suitable pi es 71. with a reservoir H, as shown, where y compressed air may be admitted above the pistons by means of a suitable cock 717. An air-compressor H is suitably connected with the reservoir for supplying the samewith the required com& pressed air. The pistons operate vertically and there is secured to the lower end of each piston a rod and depending carrier rod h to the lower ends of which latter is attached a horizontal platform J, the latter being normally located a short distance above the rails of the track. This platform is held in such normal position, that is, the position in which the pistons are located in the u per portions of the cylinders by means of helical springs b which are attached to yokes h secured to the upper ends of the rods h, as

the sides of the car by threaded rods a supported in brackets a", suitable nuts a, being provided for ad'u'sting the tension of the e readily understood. It willtherefore be seen that when the-compressed air is admitted above the pistons the platform will be actuated downwardly toward the track and when such pressure is withdrawn the springs will act to return it to its normal position, a suitable relief valve (not shown) being provided in each cylinder, as will be readily understood, .to permit of .the unobstructed upward movement of the pistons, Cut in the platform immediatel above the two rails respectively of the trac N are two openings j Fig. 2, which ermit the operator to have access to the r s from the shown. These springs are suspended from interlor or the car for the purpose of performing the desired operationsupon such rails. y

Upon the bottom of the platform are secured members for effecting frictional contact with the rails. These members consist in the strncture illustrated, of brake-shoes K for stopping the car and contact brushes K for making contact for the electrical recording device for indicating and recording the electrical condition of the rails, such as is shown and described in pending application, Serial No.-209,115,- filed May 21, 1904. The contact brushes are, as shown in Fig. 4, mounted so as to normally be in a plane below the brake-shoes, so that they may' be caused to engage the rails while the brakeshoes are out of contact therewith. Such arrangement permits the recording evice to be used without bringing the brakes into play.' By employing the automatic cut-out device, shown and described in the ending application, Serial No. 209,116, filed lflay 21, 1904, the-braking of the car, that is, the downward action of the latform may be controlled automatically by the recording instrument, that is, whenever the voltage at the rail-joint rises above a certain point the car may be automatically stopped. In such case the cock h" would be automatically controlled.

' Attached to the front and rear ends respectively of the platform J, by means of flexible leather connections 7", are two guardplates J J which project upwardly into the central opening in the floor, as shown in Fig. 1, the upper ends of such plates resting against the front and rear edges of such" opening. These edges are extended downwardly by means of transverse boards a a, which, to ether with the extremities of .the' flooring- 'orm a support against which the upper endsof said guard-plates rest durmg the upward and downward movement thereof. These plates are bent forwardly and backwardly respectively as shown,.. so that their normal position'will be maintained by gravity. Apertures 7' j are formed therem for receiving the wheels of. It will therefore be seen that the openingsv betweenthe platform and flooring are closed by these plates thus protectingthe operator, and in conjunction with the sides of the. car substantially' inclosiilg the entire operating space on all four sides.

. .The front and rear ends of the platform are connected directly with the wheel-truck frame by means of links 1 whose inner ends are pivoted to the platform as shown in Figs. 4 and 5., The outer ends of these links are connected to the lower ends of the hangers A A of the trucks by means of pins o a)? suitably secured thereto. These pins pass through elongated openings Z res ectively,

55 formed inthe outer ends of these inks, and.

. truc when the platform is in its normal position engage the inner ends of these 0 enlngs, as shown in Fig. 1, so that when in t is position the latforrn is loosely connected with the 1B. When however, the platform is lowered and the brake-shoes are resting upon the rails the pins engage the oppositeends of the openings so thatin this position the platform is fixed relatively to the truck, and the longitudinal strain due to the frictional contact between the brake-shoes and rail, when the car is in motion, is transmitted to the truck, thus entirely relieving the rods 71, from such strain. 7

It will therefore be seen from the above construction that the.workman may remain in the operating space formed by the platform, raise and lower the latter as desired and perform various operations upon the rails with convenience and safety.

Having described my invention in detail,

. that, which I particularly point'out and distinctly claim, is:

1. In apparatus for bonding rails, the combination with a carriage adapted to be transported along a track, of a lplatform supported from said carriage'in t e vicinity of the track and provided with openings above the track rails respectively. y

2. In apparatus for bonding rails, the com- 9: bination of a carriage adapted to be transported along a track, a platform suspended resiliently from said carriage, and means for moving said platform'in vertical lanes.

'3. In apparatus for bonding ra' s, the combination of a carriage adapted to be transported along a track, a horizontal platform suspended from said carriage rn the vicinity of the track-rails, means for raising and lowering said platform, and members secured to the latter and adapted'to afford electrical contact with the rails when said platform is lowered. v

4. In ap aratus for bonding rails, the combination of a' carriage adapted to be transported along a track, a platform suspended from said carriage, means for raising and lowering said platform, means connecting the latter directly with the car trucks, said v platform provided with contact members secured to the platform for making contact with the rails when the platform is lowered.

5. In ap aratus for bonding rails, the combination of a carriage adapted to be transported along a track, and having an opening m its floor, a platform suspended from the car and below said opening, two guard members secured to the front and rear of said platform respectively and extending upwardly to the front and rear of said opening 126 respectively, and means for raising and lowering said platform and attached guard members.

6. In ap aratus for-bonding rails, thecombination o "a carriage adapted to be trans- I30 polled along a track, and having an 0 enlowerin said platform, and means adapted to loose y connect'said platform to said carriage when raised and to hold the same longitudinally fixed relatively to said carriage when lowered.

8. In apparatus for bonding rails, the combination 0 a carriage adapted to be trans orted along a track, a platform suspended rom said carriage, means for raising and lowering said platform, and means adapted to loosely connect said platform to the trucks of said carriage when said platform is raised and to hold the same longitudinally fixed relatively thereto when lowered.

9. In apparatus for bonding rai1s, the combination o a carriage adapted to be transorted along a track, a platform suspended rom said carriage, means for raising and lowering said platform, and links connecting said platform with the trucks of said car-' riage, such links being provided with elongated openingsand being so disposed as to make such connection a loose one when said platform is raised and a rigid one when the same is lowered.

. 10. In apparatus for bonding rails, the combination of a carria e adapted to be transported along a tracE, a platform suspended from said carria e, means for raising and lowering said plat orm, said platform being provided with contact members adapted to engage the track rails and to afford electrical contact therewith when the platform is lowered, and means connectingsaid platform with the car independently of the suspending means. I

11. In. apparatus for bonding rails, the combination of a carria e adapted to be transported along a tracfi, a platform suspended from said carriage, means for raising and lowering the platform, the latter being provided with contact members adapted to contro ling such pressure-operated means.

13. In apparatus for bonding rails, the combination of a car, depending retractile supporting means mounted upon thecar, a platform suspended from said supports, and pressure operated means for actuating said supporting means. against the action of the retractile element thereof.

14. In apparatus for bonding rails, the combination of a car, a plurality of pressure cylinders and pistons therefor mounted upon said car, depending rods respectively connected with said cylinders, a platformsuspended from said rods, and springs connected with said rods and having one end fixed to said car, said pistons being adapted to actuate the platform downwardly, and

said springs being arranged to operate in opposition to such downwardmovement.

Signed by me, this 22nd day of March 1905.

ALBERT B. HERRICK.

Attested by JNo. F. OBERLIN, A. E. MERKEL. 

